$1500 Boat Suggestions

[Imadodgeguy]

Hi all, I'm new to boating and not rich so looking to get into about 18' bow rider type boat for about $1500. What I'm seeing here in Utah is 70's and 80's vintage stuff. I'm ok with somewhat of a project as far as engine goes but not familiar with outdrives or outboard, but with a manual I can probably get it fixed.

One of the things I'm wondering is:
What motor and outdrives to stay clear of. OMC ok? Merc? Volvo? I'm trying to get something as new as possible to avoid obsolete stuff.

There's a 77 Reinell with 302/OMC that looks good. Any thoughts on it?

Many thanks.

 

[jbuote]

Hey there :welcome:

I'm 'a bit too new myself to help with engines to stay away from, but as far as your price range....

Odds are, what you'll find in that range (70's -80's like you said) will need hull structure work too. (stringers/transom)

Take a look through the restoration section here as well. That should give you an idea of what's involved and what to look for etc...
You MIGHT get lucky and find a sound hull with a bad engine.. I doubt you'd find a good running boat with a sound hull and structure as well in that price range..

Just a thought...

This is certainly the right place though, the gurus here won't steer you wrong!
Welcome again!

 

[ahicks]

I would suggest you stay away from I/O's due to their complexity and cost of repairs. An OMC is easily the worst of the bunch.

Outboards can often be replaced for what a major repair might cost - which would not be as practical when working with an I/O.

I'd also suggest you go with an aluminum boat as they are much easier for an amateur to deal with regarding the inevitable age related issues (rot).

 

[Scott Danforth]

Find a running aluminum boat with an outboard.

 

[Imadodgeguy]

Ok I will be keeping an eye out for aluminum boats. Maybe I can find one that needs a motor.

It just so happened that I picked up a junky 14' Arrowglass for fairly cheap with a huge Force 125 on it mainly for the motor. I haven't heard too much good about them, but hey it's a start. Compression cold is 120 on all 4 and it runs.

 

[southkogs]

A $1,500 budget in my area would require you to be very patient, and very savvy. So, be careful.

What kind of use do you intend with the boat? Cruising, skiing and tubing, fishing? Different boats are better for different things.

:welcome:

 

[Chris1956]

Pick a simple boat. Much less to go wrong. I would recommend an outboard motor with a runabout. Minimal electronics, aluminum is probably a good choice.

As for that 14 footer w/ a 120HP motor...likely unsafe to operate, as the motor is likely 200% of max recommended power.

 

[MTboatguy]

There are a lot of decent Starcrafts around from the 70's and early 80's in your price range, I just picked up a 73 in good shape for $500 and paid $200 for a trailer that I am doing a little work on, but for the budget you are talking about you could find something similar to what I found.

One thing to look out for is soft transoms and soft spots in the floor. Aluminum boats are a bit more straight forward when you have to replace those items, but it is still quite a bit of work.

That said, if you keep an eye out and don't get dazzled you should be able to find something that will fit your needs.

As far as that monster motor, I would look for a boat with a motor already on it, that 125 is far to big for most 14 footers and many 16 footers are not rated for a motor that size. If it were me, I would put that thing up for sale and look for something in the size range more inline with what you think you want to do.

 

[Old Ironmaker]

I tell this to anyone on a strict budget that you have to seriously think about this before getting into boating. Buying a boat is one thing, getting it to run and float is another and being able to afford to use it is different thing altogether. I know too many folks that paid 2 grand or less or much more than that for a not bad older boat or a newer boat and find out that they can't afford to tow it to the ramp, put gas in it and run it for a day. Besides the cost of the boat, safety equipment, anchor, lines, fenders, trailer maintenance, boat maintenance, insurance, registration, winterization, tow vehicle and it's associated costs, the list is actually longer. Owning a boat isn't in the cards for everyone.

Good luck on your search. I really hope you find your boat, it took me 55 years myself to fit it in my budget and I made good coin.

 

[Imadodgeguy]

The main use for the boat would be cruising occasional tube or skier. Might take up fishing.

There's a '73 Starcraft Chieftain with 135 O/B that's aluminum? Probably more of a plower than a skimmer right?

 

[Imadodgeguy]

Some sobering thoughts there Ironmaker.

 

[jbuote]

That's true...

A VERY generalized rule of thumb just for gas usage on an older outboard is that you'll burn about 10% of the engines horsepower in fuel per hour at WOT...

So if you're tubing or skiing, with a 135 hp engine and you use full throttle mostly, you'll burn roughly 13.5 gallons an hour.
Obviously that same 13.5 gallons might last 2 hours or a bit more if using say 3/4 throttle.. It's all in how you use it.
if on the lake for say 8 hours, and you spend 2 of those hours at full throttle, expect to use at LEAST 27 gallons of fuel...
Around me, gas is about $3.00 a gallon, so it'd be at least $81.00 in gas JUST for the boat for that day.
Not counting tow vehicle gas or anything else.. (like the cost of the oil to put in the gas...)

Again, it's a VERY basic generalization, and some engines are more efficient than others, but it helps give an idea of fuel costs alone..

 

[southkogs]

Are you out West? And are you boating with a family or taking friends out? (In other words are you taking the kids tubing and swimming?)

If those are both "yes" answers, my suggestion would actually be to see if you can save up another $1,500 and put off buying until next year. If you can find a good aluminum boat with an outboard for around $3,000 that's in good shape and will tow easy for you, then you could probably do pretty well with a starter boat.

You'd have to be ready to buy when you found "the right boat" and it would be best to be buying at the end of the season when prices are down a little bit.

EDIT: Just saw Utah in your post ... which would be out West ... :facepalm: :doh: ... back to remedial reading class for southkogs.

 

[fishrdan]

There's a '73 Starcraft Chieftain with 135 O/B that's aluminum? Probably more of a plower than a skimmer right?

A 73 SC Chieftan with a 135HP OB would have a LOT of Starcraft lovers on this site drooling...

Condition - Condition - Condition

Not sure a Chieftan would make a good ski/tube boat, how long is the Chieftan?

 

[garbageguy]

+1 on what Ironmaker said. But it only took me 48 years to get my own boat, as we've always had many boats in the family. Then again, if it's in your blood, as with many here, you've come to the right place for all the input you can stand

 

[briangcc]

IF you're not in a hurry you may stumble into a gem towards the end of the boating season...when someone realizes that the cost of owning a boat includes Winterization and storage fees (or the sobering fact of...where the heck am I putting this?). In my area...that's $380 for Winterization and shrink wrap (I store the boat outside for $0 at a relative's house).

Make sure your tow vehicle is up to the task for the weight of your boat, trailer and all its associated gear. All that incidental stuff you carry in the boat - life jackets, fire extinguisher, paddles, coolers, etc all add up.

As for the Force engine....I'll just say that the Bayliner in my signature originally came with a Force engine. It lasted all of (1) season when I got rid of it for a brand new Honda 4 Stroke. The Force was all of (1) year old at the time. Others seem to have good luck with them and my hat's off to them but mine was a bugger and a half which I couldn't wait to get rid of.

 

[ahicks]

Regarding your budget, you say you are handy mechanically. That's a key factor in affordability from where I'm sitting. I've lived on a lake for the last 40+ years, have never had a lot of money, but when I moved onto the lake, I'd already been trailering for many years!

Point being, I could afford nothing but fixer uppers for many years. Fact is, I still enjoy bringing some piece of junk back into usable condition, though I could easily afford something much nicer.

Starcraft is a good name for sure, but don't let that distract you to the point you aren't considering other boats that are nearly identical. They could be even more affordable/make better buys as the brand isn't as recognizable.

And try stay away from Force/Chrysler. They've kicked so many butts, ruined so many dreams, they're just not worth considering. Older Johnson and Evinrudes are much better gambles, as long as they have mechanical (not push button) shifting, and are generally not much more expensive.

 

[jkust]

I don't know utah but in my state 1500 bucks would be a small aluminum boat with a nine horse and it would be from the 70's. A 1500 dollar 18 foot bowrider would be hard to imagine. I feel like you are in a tough spot budget-wise.

 

[Imadodgeguy]

Guys, I really appreciate the advice and I feel welcome already.

Ahicks- I'm kinda with you on a fixer upper, I don't know if it's an addiction, but I've liked that kind of item that's a diamond in the rough, and something a little different.

I'm getting the message: keep it simple, keep it affordable.

My wife would like something she won't easily fall out of, so a thin speedboat type hull is out, rats.

 

[Imadodgeguy]

Fishrdan-that Chieftain is 18' he says. Hull is nice and its actually not in too bad of shape, needs floor, the pedestal seats are there and said motor runs. Would be a project. What's under the floor on those? I think I felt foam.